The Cliff

    

    One day, a despondent young man who was bankrupt decided to end his life. He felt his life was miserable, having failed in all his undertakings. He wanted to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff that was a two-hour bus ride from his house.

    The cliff was a famous tourist spot. It overlooked a lush green valley and offered a wonderful view of the sea beyond. Sometimes, if you are lucky, the reflection of the sun creates a beautiful rainbow in the blue sky.

    After a hearty breakfast, the young man took the first bus that left for the cliff. It was 7.30 am and the bus was quite empty. After a few stops though, the bus became crowded with people on their way to work.

    A middle-aged man in a security officer’s uniform sat next to the young man and started a conversation. He said after a big yawn, “Didn’t get enough sleep last night. The cost of living is getting very high. I have to work two jobs to support my family and mind you, my wife is also working. Only the rich can enjoy their life. It’s getting tougher every day – what a world.”

    The young man thought in his heart, “Yes, and that’s why I am leaving it.”

    The middle-aged man got off at the next stop. By now the bus was nearly empty again, and thirty minutes away from the last stop at the cliff top, an old man got onto the bus and sat in front of the young man. It was drizzling then.

    He was untidy-looking, his hair unkempt, his shirt faded and stained and it looked as if he had not bathed in days. Turning to the young man he said, “I guess you are going to the cliff too.” The young man nodded coldly, remaining silent. The old man continued, “I’ve waited nearly a year to come to the cliff. My children left me after they got married and of course after getting their inheritance since all the properties willed to them by their mother.”

    “I was imprisoned in a posh old folks’ home. After some time, my children decided that I was becoming too expensive for them, so they dumped me in a state-run old folks’ home. I decided then to leave the place. I worked as a gardener and did odd jobs.”

    The old man then asked, “Where are you coming from?”. The young man said, “About 50km from here.” The old man said, “I have actually come from 250km away and had to take a few buses to get here. I skipped some meals to save enough cash to come here.”

    The old man continued,” I remember when I was small, my parents used to take me to the cliff to see the views. It was a wonderful sight. The cool blue sky matched by the lush green valley below. Sometimes the blue sky was dotted by spots of wild birds. I could see the sparkling reflection of the sunlight on the sea. It was heavenly”.

    Unperturbed by the young man’s scowl and silence, the old man went on. He said, “I haven’t felt proper sunshine in years. Our cities are choked with smog and the sky is polluted by haze. Thank God I made it here today. I just want to see the view from the cliff so that I know it’s worth living here on this great planet no matter what we go through.”

    The old man then asked,” Are you working at the tourist kiosk there?”. The young man paused for a moment and answered, “No, I’m going there for the same reason you are.”

    The rain had stopped by then. The sun was shining again. As the bus drew to a stop by the cliff top, the bus driver called out, “Hey, you guys are lucky. There is a double rainbow today!”

(649 words)

Adapted from: Leonard Selva Gurunathan  Heart & Soul Starmag Sunday 30 March 2008